All That Glitters Is Not Gold
by SoupTea
Summary: Giovanni purchases a discounted Android and gets more than his money's worth. Detroit Become Human AU. Implied Rainbow Rocket University.
1. Part I: Willpower

Giovanni ambles into the Cyberlife Store with a fat wallet in his pocket and a smug smirk on his face. The sun is high in the sky today, and there's a pleasant breeze in the air. Perfect weather to finally get his own Android.

"Greetings, Mister Giovanni!" Petrel, the owner of the store, is an old friend and business partner. He accepts Giovanni's firm handshake. "Finally going for it after all, sir?"

"Might as well," Giovanni replies with a cursory glance around the room. _Business is booming, I see. _"I might be a little… _shorthanded _on staff."

Petrel notes the bulge in Giovanni's pocket with a low whistle. "Of course, Bo—I mean, Mister Giovanni." A wink. "I've got the perfect Android for you!"

"Great. Now, don't mind the cost. Just show me a capable machine that can obey my every command."

Petrel smirks. "You're the boss, Boss," he mutters, low enough for both of them to hear. Then he beckons Giovanni to the display in the middle of the store. Three Androids of the same model stand roped off from the rest of the commoner goods.

"This is AR800's 'Archer.'" Petrel pats the Android's strong shoulders. Giovanni looks at the specimen without batting an eye. "He's part of the AR series. The latest and trendiest, I may add! Equipped with X-ray vision! He even has the Forewarn ability in his software and…"

Giovanni sizes the Android as Petrel runs his motor. Archer notices Giovanni's disinterest and flashes the latter a confident smirk. While it's true that this "Archer" radiates quality, Giovanni's heart just isn't set on the matter.

But nevertheless, he needs an Android to do his dirty work. Cost doesn't matter if these machines can be used as an effective scapegoat.

"You'll take it, sir?" Petrel's eyes gleam once Giovanni produces a wad of cash. Archer smirks again. Giovanni shrugs and casts his glance to the side… until he happens to notice the "Discount" area.

"S-sir?" Petrel sputters when Giovanni yanks back his money and proceeds to the bargain section. Archer's flinty eyes follow the two men. Giovanni stands amidst the pile of scraps with his arms crossed.

"What is that?"

Petrel's eyes widen in disbelief. "Sir? T-this? This is… We have other discounted machines, Boss…"

_"Petrel."_

"This one is a failure!" Petrel groans with his hands on his head. "I mean, you _could _sell it for scraps, but what you're looking for, Boss… Archer would be a much better purchase. And I'm not being a shady salesman, either! I'm telling the truth!"

But Giovanni keeps his feet firm. "What I'm looking for just needs to be useful. Be it a rust bucket or a failure, if it can withstand a few stray bullets, then it's fine for me." He gives Petrel a stern look. "And since this is my very first Android purchase, I need to test the waters. If this thing fails, then I'll come back. Easy."

Petrel purses his lips. He glares at the defunct Android that had caught his Boss's eyes. The Android merely returns Petrel's frown with an impassive expression. "It's not a matter of _if,_' Boss. It's a matter of _when _this thing will break down. The only reason it's even here is because the plant that manufactured it didn't want their reputation tar—"

Giovanni slaps the cash into Petrel's hands. The salesman shuts up instantly. "Doesn't matter," Giovanni huffs. "I just need some help on a job."

Petrel stares at the money in his palms. He stares at his Boss, whose frown is deepening each passing second. Then he sighs. "All right, Boss. I'll give this heap of junk a quick tune-up before you leave."

Then in a quieter voice, Petrel mutters, "I just don't understand evil bosses nowadays…"

Giovanni proceeds to the broken Android, who blearily regards him with dull, unblinking blue eyes. "How pathetic," he says to the machine. "But consider yourself lucky that you'll be my weapon from now on."

The Android tilts its head. The cursor on its temple flickers and pulses a soft blue glow.

"I'm Giovanni." The man gives the Android a brief, exasperated overlook. "You're certainly not as prim and flashy as Archer, but I got what I paid for. Now, you'll address me as 'Boss' or 'Master.' Do you understand, machine?"

The Android nods. Giovanni smirks. "Great. Now let me show you to your new home."

* * *

The sun is harsh. The sun is bright. Android CY027's cursor flashes before resuming a steady blue pulse. _Robots can't feel warmth. Perfect Androids are not supposed to feel at all._

"Robot." Its new master's voice still sounds strange to its ears. _Yes, the frequency of his pitch is registering, but… but still… _

"Yes, Master Giovanni?"

Giovanni crosses his arms. "When you're not needed, stay in here." He yanks the shed door open, inciting a plume of dust into the air. Giovanni coughs. The Android merely blinks. The man scowls and plants his foot into the robot's back, shoving it into the shed.

_Perfect robots shouldn't feel pain._

"Be out at exactly twenty fifty-six hours." Giovanni rummages for something in his pocket. The Android catches the gun with empty eyes. "You know how to shoot a gun?"

"Yes, sir."

"Good." Giovanni's words do not match his growing contempt. "If you fall asleep, then _that_—" he gestures to the weapon "—will be your wake-up call."

"Androids do not sleep, sir. We—"

Giovanni slams the door shut, plunging the room into darkness except for the sliver of sunlight peeking through the crack. CY027 switches its vision into night-mode. _Good. It still works. _The Android grips the gun tightly against its chest and closes its eyes.

* * *

Six. Six bullets in its body. No one expected the deserter to have actually been a police informant. The mission was looking to be a success: Giovanni and his men had captured the traitor and was interrogating her until the windows of the barn fell under the powerful police helicopter.

Giovanni had almost escaped when a round of stray bullets hit him… he _would've _been hit if not for CY027 pushing him out of the way. The Android took three shots to its ventilation tank, the machine-version of the human lung. Blue fluid burst from its wounds and caused a brief shutdown of all functions. When the Android could operate again, it scampered away from the police-infested area and back to Giovanni's residence.

The Android's fingers closed the shed's door when a loud hiss freezes the robot in its tracks. CY027 turns to see a flabbergasted Giovanni in a golden robe, a hostile Persian at his side.

"Why are you here?" Giovanni's nostrils are flaring. His tone is sharp.

For a heartbeat in time, the robot's cursor flashes yellow before returning to blue.

"You told me to remain here if I'm not needed," the Android states flatly.

Giovanni clicks his tongue. His eyes seem to bear holes through the robot's already battered husk. "You were supposed to be _dead,"_ he states coldly. "The police were supposed to find you and charge you as the prime suspect." Persian slinks to the Android and spits near its boots. "You weren't supposed to return, because I've already discussed your replacement."

The cursor flickers. The Android's vision short-circuits only for a brief second before it shakes its head. "I made sure to cover the trail before returning. I made sure to destroy all traces of evidence that could incriminate you before I left the crime scene. My battery life is not yet depleted, Boss."

_I can still be useful._

Giovanni fixes the Android with another scowl, but he says nothing. His gaze lingers on the bullet wounds, the splatters of blue liquid on its clothes.

And then he speaks. "You don't feel pain?"

"N-no, sir." _There it is. A stutter. A hesitation. _The Android prays that Giovanni didn't notice, and fortunately, he doesn't. "Androids are not programmed to register physical injuries as pain."

Giovanni absorbs that sentence with a frown. Then he exhales through his teeth. "You're all freaks," he grumbles. He beckons Persian back to his side. "Fine. I'll give you another chance, robot. Just don't regret it later when you explode into nuts and bolts."

"Yes, Master Giovanni." Its voice wavers, just for a moment. Giovanni doesn't comment on that.

"Fine." The Android bows and stumbles into the shed. It sits to assess its damages: fluid level is considerably low, but not lethal. _A bottle of oil should suffice. _There's damage to its mechanical lungs. Its vision is fuzzy. But it's not a problem, because while CY027 lacks the self-regenerative function of the newer—

-_better—_

-Androids, it can sustain itself. CY027 produces its trusty screwdriver and proceeds to repair its wounds.

Persian meows. The Android turns back. Giovanni is still standing there, his eyes narrowed, his lips tight.

"Yes, Master?" the Android says.

Giovanni's mouth opens and closes just as quickly. He rubs his neck and glances to the side. "Back there… I thought… I thought things would turn out badly for me until something pushed me out of harm's way."

The Android tilts its head. Giovanni scowls. "N-never mind. What's done is done." Giovanni appears as if he wants to say more, but Persian nibbles on his leg, snapping him from his thoughts. He fixes the Android with a glare before slamming the shed door shut.

* * *

Breakfast is already waiting for him when Giovanni heads downstairs. A bowl of oatmeal garnished with sliced bananas and brown sugar sits on the table. A glass of dark coffee. A small bowl of yogurt. The morning newspaper unfurled and waiting to be read.

Persian greets Giovanni cheerfully before returning to her food. Giovanni stumbles into the brightly-lit kitchen and slumps into his chair, yawning.

"Good morning, Boss." The Android's monotone never changes. "I've received your calls and filed them into your logs, sir."

Giovanni grunts something and scoops his oatmeal. _It's… surprisingly good. Still bland as hell, but good. Why, it reminds me of when Silver ate oatmeal for the first time and…_

"Boss, your schedule for today." Giovanni eats while the Android drones on about his plans. Surprisingly, the plastic prick's indifferent tone doesn't bother him as much anymore. _Why, the robot is surprisingly self-efficient. A neat freak. Nothing to complain there, honestly. _

Giovanni happens to turn just in time to see the back of the robot's head. The oatmeal turns cold in his throat.

"Why is there a big dent in your head?"

The robot stiffens. _Yes, that soulless machine seemed to have frozen at that mere observation. _It quickly turns away, but not before Giovanni catches its flashing yellow cursor.

"It was an accident," the robot replies flatly.

Giovanni absently lights a smoke, but his eyes are still on the Android. "Must've been a big accident then. I thought metal freaks like you were supposed to be indestructible. You know… perfect."

When the robot hasn't spoken for a while, Giovanni looks up from his food. The Android is wordlessly cleaning the kitchen, all the while refusing to meet Giovanni's glance.

Similar things like these often happen, but only if Giovanni happens to catch them. Sometimes the robot will return home from the store and lock itself away in the kitchen. When Giovanni comes downstairs, it will excuse itself and leave immediately. And if Giovanni's even quicker, he'll notice the flecks of rock on the robot's shoulders, as if someone threw a damn boulder into its face. And sometimes the dents will vary in size, but all the same looking as if they were made by powerful, non-human hands.

"An accident," the Android will reply every time Giovanni brings it up. The cursor will always blink yellow before returning to blue. "It won't impede my ability to function." That's also true, because this robot is very adept with its hands, especially if given a screwdriver and some scraps.

"Can't you heal yourself?" Giovanni asks one day, as he watches the robot fix the dent on its temples.

"My version lack the self-regenerative capacity as the newer models," is the flat reply. Giovanni's eyes widen when it stabs the screwdriver into a slit on its "skin" like a damn scalpel. "But I'll still be able to carry out whatever you wish of me."

The robot is indeed very useful with its hands… as expected of the perfect Androids from Cyberlife, right? Giovanni eventually assigns it more technical roles aside from its current administrative duties. This machine can sure as hell dissect a computer, a phone, or just about anything that has an electrical component.

"I've encrypted your transactions, so please be at ease while you complete your mission." The robot observes Giovanni with unblinking eyes as he secures his payments. "In addition, I've programmed the latest firewalls into your software, so you shouldn't worry about being traced."

Whether he likes it or not, this machine has quickly become a part of his life. The scary thing is, though, that sometimes Giovanni forgets that this being before him is just a disposable heap of plastic.

* * *

Android CY027 snaps from its sleeping function when that noise becomes more insistent. The robot rises to its feet and opens the shed door.

_Yes, no doubt about it. It's Persian, Giovanni's faithful Pokemon. But why does she sound so… distraught?_

The Android's cursor turns a sickly yellow hue as it sneaks to the mansion. There's no protocol or reason as to why it suddenly breaks into a run. There's no explanation as to why its chest feels heavy without the usual indicative "ERROR" messages.

"Boss? Master Giovanni?" There's something wrong with its voice. Through Giovanni left the robot explicit warnings never to enter from the front door, it still checks to see if anything's open.

It's not… Giovanni had locked everything at night.

_"Mreeeow!" _ The Android pinpoints Persian's location to the kitchen window. And sure enough, the cat yips when she sees CY027. Persian pounds against the glass, eyes wide and bright, as if calling for help. CY027 barks a sharp command, and the cat complies by scampering to safety before the Android crashes through the window.

_"Mreeow!" _ Persian tugs the Android's sleeves. CY027 scrambles to its feet. Its cursor converts into an odious red at the sight of its master.

Giovanni is slumped over his mahogany table, empty bottles of expensive wine littered at his feet. Crumpled cigars lay at the man's curled fingers. The stench of smoky alcohol hangs in the air.

"Master!" CY027 rushes to the man, regardless of the broken glass at its feet. It hesitates before gripping the man's trembling shoulders. The red cursor darkens as the robot scans its master's disheveled face.

"I'm sorry, Silver," Giovanni moans. The Android notices the fallen picture frames on the table—one showing a red-headed child, and another displaying a younger Giovanni holding said child in his arms.

"Boss," the Android says softly. "You are drunk. Let's bring you to bed."

"Ariana!" Giovanni starts for another bottle, but CY027 slaps it away from his hands. The man glares at the Android through puffy, unfocused eyes. "What the _hell, _you stupid robot?"

"Master Giovanni, your BAC is higher than the recommended average for an adult your age."

"Shut up, tin can! Why don't you just roll off a cliff already?!" The robot falters, and Giovanni takes advantage of the moment by dashing a bottle into its face. The glass splinters across its skin. The robot freezes, its cursor now blinking out of control. "I'm sick of you and your shit! I should've brought that Archer thing instead of your useless face!"

_A bug. _A bug must've gotten into the Android's programming. A bug must be responsible for this sudden, overwhelming desperation that's settling onto its brain. "No." Its voice is very small. "No, sir. I can still be useful. I won't let you down—"

"Oh yeah?" Giovanni lurches forward. The bitter stench of alcohol assaults its nostrils. "Okay, then bring Silver back. Bring my son back. Can you at least do that, you plastic son-of-a-bitch?"

CY027 can only stare back at those bloodshot eyes. Giovanni cackles and throws a sluggish but powerful punch that knocks the Android to the floor. By the time CY027's signs stabilize, Persian is gently nudging the broken glass from the robot's dented chest. Giovanni is still on the table, shoulders heaving, the tears coming harder down his cheeks.

_This person is not Master Giovanni, _a voice says in the Android's program. A voice that sounds familiar, but at the same time isn't. _Master Giovanni is powerful. He is respected and feared. He shouldn't… he shouldn't have any weaknesses…_

CY027 springs to its feet, earning a surprised yelp from Persian. The Android marches to the table, grabs Giovanni by the shoulders, and hauls the man in the air.

"What the hell?!" Giovanni slurs. When he fails to break free, he flashes the Android the stink-eye and spits in its face.

"Master Giovanni," the Android says coldly and flatly. "I wish you can see how pathetic you are right now. Have you no shame? Have you no pride left in that heap of flesh?"

"What the—" Giovanni's face flushes an even deeper red. "I'll rip that treacherous tongue off your—"

"Do as you wish," the Android snaps. Giovanni falters. "But I will not stand aside watching you waste away on this brain poison!" Its voice is rising. "My purpose in life is to serve you, and I cannot do that while you remain incapacitated of your own doing!"

And then the Android raises its hand and slaps its master across the cheeks. "Wake up!"

Giovanni flinches violently. "What the… what the hell…" The rage from earlier dissipates into a cloud of confusion. Giovanni unleashes a volley of colorful language before his eyes refocus on the Android's face.

"Boss?" it whispers.

And then Giovanni weeps. He leans his head against the robot's broken chest and cries. Hot, angry tears stream from his cheeks and into the machine's shell.

_Warm. It's warm. _The cursor flashes yellow. _These are… tears? _The robot's chest constricts, especially above the area of its artificial heart. It feels as if it's been shot again, but this time, the nonexistent wound actually causes physical pain.

_What is happening to me?_

"Silver," Giovanni whispers. "I'm sorry… I'm so sorry…" Persian shuffles to her master and utters a mournful cry. The cat locks eyes with the Android. The latter returns its attention to the shell of a man in its arms. And the Android opens its mouth.

_"Lost little star…" _ The Android's voice is but a shaky whisper. _"All alone in this sea of light…" _ Its database is quite outdated, but it managed to find an Italian song that Giovanni might like. The machine was programmed with perfect pitch, yet the melody that escapes from its cold lips is a soft utterance, as if the wind itself is singing.

_"Where are you, lost little star? Did you find your way home?" _When the Android looks down again, Giovanni is sleeping. His shoulders rise and fall with each sluggish heartbeat. The robot exhales before lifting the man on its shoulders to carry him to his room. Then it heads down to clean the mess and repair the window, all while under the unreadable watch of Giovanni's Persian.

* * *

Living with Giovanni had made the Android realize two important things: one, that its master was the feared, merciless leader of the largest criminal empire in the region; and two, he had developed an alcohol addiction and was prone to emotional outbursts after the curtains have closed. Those two faces of Giovanni were as stark as night and day, wrong and right.

And it bothers the Android. While it's not on its programming, CY027 took it upon itself to dispose of Giovanni's secret stash. That was met with harsh punishment, but it was a risk the machine was willing to take. The robot often confronted Giovanni about his problem, only to be spat in the face or thrown to the wall.

But the machine persisted. It can't have its master bring about his own downfall.

On one particularly bad night, Persian had crept into the shed and woke the Android. The cat appears agitated. The robot understands and follows the Pokemon through an unlatched window in the back.

"What the hell do you want now, plastic freak?" Giovanni's eyes are bloodshot, and his entire being reeks of alcohol. The glare he's giving the Android sparks a brief hesitation in its programming, a yellow hue to overcome the cursor, and the familiar claw to grip its chest.

"I don't want to see you destroy yourself, Master," the robot replies, eyeing the gun on the table, the fallen picture frames lying amongst the fallen bottles.

Giovanni laughs. It's an uncanny laugh that thunders through the machine's ears. "Oh yeah? And you actually give a damn? What are you going to do about it, eh, plastic prick?"

"I am going to stop you." The Android lunges for the gun, but Giovanni is quicker, despite his drunken state. He pulls the weapon to the robot's chest, on the area directly above the heart.

_The vital point._

Persian is barking erratically. Giovanni scowls and shoves his cat aside when she attempts to intervene.

"Master, your Persian is in pain!" CY027 snaps. Giovanni's glassy eyes flicker the flashing red cursor. Then his lips curve, and they twist into a horrifying smile.

"You actually sounded worried there." The gun ebbs deeper into its core. Numbers flash across its sight. "I thought robots can't feel emotions. What the hell is wrong with you then, eh?"

_**SOFTWARE INSTABILITY. **_"N-no, Boss. I don't… No, Androids are not programmed to interpret empathy. However, as your subordinate, I am concerned for your health as lea—"

Giovanni cocks the gun. Crimson flowers erupts before the robot's eyes. Somewhere, Persian is weeping. "You? Concerned? _Hehe… HAHAHA! _ A disposable tool like you should've been dead a long time ago! Don't give me that bullcrap about staying with me forever! They always say that… they cry and laugh and assure me that they'll never leave me…

"And you know what's the kicker? They all left. They all left without ever looking back! She… she took him with her! She told me that I'll never amount to anything! That my livelihood, the very thing I've known since I was a child, will be the death of me! 'Oh Giovanni, I won't let you expose our son to this violent nonsense!'

"And you know what, _freak?! _" The robot had made itself very small under Giovanni's rising voice. "She was right? She's always right! It's all my fault! But I'm already knee-deep in this shit to get out! My hands are already tainted… my soul's defiled and depraved! Because of me, my son… everyone…" His shoulders are shaking. "Even my subordinates will stab me in the back, sooner or later…"

Then Giovanni bares his teeth. "Why the fuck am I telling you all this shit, you piece of junk? You won't understand. You don't. You're just a pathetic, discounted piece of garbage that can't even go for a day without being broken!"

_It hurts. What hurts? It hurts in here. It hurts everywhere. Why? What is happening to me? Why is everything red? Why can't I breathe? Why do I even need to breathe? Why am I trembling? _

_Am I breaking down again?_

"No, Master Giovanni." Giovanni glowers at the Android's voice, a voice that is not devoid of emotion. "That's not true. I won't leave you. I will remain by your side until I can no longer operate. Even if everyone else in the world turns their backs on you… even if everyone denounces you as their enemy… I will be here, with you." The robot stares into its master's wide eyes. "I will protect you with this expendable life of mine. You gave me a purpose. Now allow me to return my dues."

Silence. Giovanni's breathing, but his mind is elsewhere. Persian is frozen in the corner of the room. A bottle falls to the floor and shatters into a million pieces. The night sky seems to impose a crushing gravity onto the room.

Then Giovanni smiles. It's a smile that squeezes the robot's pounding chest. "Really?" His voice is small. "You? A mindless, heartless plastic tool, remaining by my side when everything I love is taken from me?" Then he throws his head back and laughs. Laughs until tears spring from his eyes. "Oh, Mew! This robot actually knows how to crack a joke! Cyberlife really thought of everything, eh?! Note to self: buy more brand of this beer—"

"I am not lying." Giovanni stops, all his sorrowful mirth vanishing into a frown. The robot does not waver from eye contact. "That is my promise. I shall honor my words until the very end."

The Android watches as Giovanni blinks. Blinks again. Then his face darkens. Shifts. Contorts.

"Then prove it," is the low growl. The gun jabs against its chest. "Prove your loyalty, you metal asshole."

And before the machine can react, Giovanni pulls the trigger. The _BOOM! _ slices through the din of silence. CY027 stiffens. Persian is crying.

"Well?" Giovanni's eyes are dark and unseeing. He pulls the trigger again. "Do you hate me now? Do you want to kill me in my sleep? Do you despise this loathsome bastard with your pitiful excuse of a heart?"

The robot stares at the gushing blue fluid from its chest. The bullet had cut a clean path through its body, puncturing the vital component of its artificial heart. CY027 brings its trembling, fluid-stained hands to light. _Why am I seeing red when my life source is blue?_

_**DANGER. **_The message blares through its head. _**VITAL COMPONENT #BW025 RUPTURED. DANGER. SOFTWARE INSTABILITY. FLUID TANK AT HALF LEVEL. SHUTDOWN PROCESS INITIATED. TIME REMAINING: 4:00.**_

"Well?" Giovanni's shrill cry cuts through the error messages like a hot knife through butter. The robot blinks the crimson flowers away to see its master's face.

"I am not going anywhere." _**DANGER. DANGER. FLUID TANK AT LOW LEVELS. CONSIDERABLE LOSS OF FLUID. PLEASE BRING TO NEAREST CYBERLIFE STORE FOR REPAIR. COMMENCING SHUTDOWN. TIME REMAINING: 2:00.**_

"What the hell is wrong with you?!" There's something not right in Giovanni's face, something not right with the timbre in his voice. The gun clatters to the floor. The machine merely blinks as the blue flower blossoms across its body.

Then Giovanni's legs buckle. He would've slammed his face into the broken glass if the Android hadn't rushed forward. It's careful not to let the fluid stain its master. _He does have a reputation to maintain, after all. _

_**DANGER. DANGER. FLUID TANK AT DANGEROUSLY LOW LEVELS. VITAL SYSTEMS DAMAGED. SHUTDOWN IMMINENT. TIME REMAINING: 0:58.**_

"Persian." The cat jolts but hurries to the robot's side. The Pokemon's face is fuzzy, but the machine manages to hold eye contact. "Can you help me? Bring your master—" Black. And then sight returns. "Bring him to his room."

Persian regards the robot with an unreadable expression as the latter drapes Giovanni's body over her back. He mutters something in his sleep but does not stir from his slumber.

"Go!" the Android snaps. Persian gives it another look… and a gentle touch on the hand before slinking away. Once the Pokemon's gone, the Android proceeds to clean up the mess. Its knees suddenly crumble, and the world tilts sideways.

_No. No. I promised Master Giovanni. I can't let this weakness impede my mission. I need… I need to be useful…_

The Android closes its eyes and straightens. It mutes the warning sirens in its brain before continuing to clean up the mess in silence, all while its cursor flashes a nonstop red.

* * *

Everyone in Giovanni's underground empire knows of the Android that accompanies their untouchable leader. _Why, _they've noticed,_ Giovanni's been bringing this tin can wherever he goes. _The two were inseparable, as the rumors go, almost like a Herdier following its master.

"Boss!" Petrel greets Giovanni with a sleazy smirk. The latter returns a nod. "Haven't seen you in a while. How are you?"

"Peachy," is the smooth reply. Petrel laughs. Then his gaze shifts to the Android.

"This thing's still standing? Why, color me surprised!" Petrel's lips tug downwards. "Actually, I take that back. It's not looking too good."

Giovanni frowns. "What do you mean, Petrel?" he says after a pause.

Petrel examines the Android's face for the longest time. He shrugs. "Never mind. I thought it was paler than last time, but maybe that's how the older models look.

"So how about you, plastic prick? You got a name yet?"

"No, sir," CY027 instantly replies. Petrel laughs again. The robot happens to turn and catch Giovanni's expression… an expression that doesn't register in its database.

"Of course." Petrel puts his hands on his hips. "It's going to break down eventually. Why bother giving it a name?"

_"Petrel." _ Giovanni's tone is heavy and sharp. Petrel winces. "I came here to expect a briefing, not your tasteless wisecracks."

"Tasteless wisecracks?" Petrel echoes. Then he shakes his head. "Oh yes." He leads the two to another room filled with grunts with matching red "R" uniforms. "So the Prime Minister's being compliant to our demands. If this stint goes right, then we'll secure the appropriate funds to finish our takeover of the region."

Giovanni smirks. "Good work, Petrel. How soon will I see results?"

"Pretty soon, Boss." Petrel nods with a faint smile. "Hey, Boss. Come with me for a sec. Oh, and bring your plastic toy too."

The Android notices Giovanni's hand curling into a fist but dismisses that as a sign of impatience. The robot follows its master and Petrel down a dimly-lit corridor until they reach a windowless room. Petrel ushers them inside and slams the door.

"Okay," Petrel says after he swept the room for bugs. "Listen, Boss. There's been troubling reports as of late. Really… disturbing and unfortunate tips…"

Giovanni's frown deepens. Petrel clears his throat and continues, "We might have a mole in our midst."

"A traitor?" Giovanni's lips curl to show teeth. "A damn traitor in my organization? How… brazen of them."

Petrel clicks his teeth. "It's not to be taken lightly, Boss. This is dangerous. Our entire mission might be in jeopardy." As he's speaking, his eyes occasionally flicker to the silent robot.

Giovanni crosses his arms. "And I trust that you have snuffed out the rat?"

Petrel blanches. "W-well, I have some leads. But it'll take a while, since our… _group _is quite large. But that's why I brought you here, Mister Giovanni. I want to test my theory."

"So what are you still standing around for?" Giovanni huffs. Petrel's expression darkens.

"Boss, come over here. Stand behind me." Giovanni raises a brow but nevertheless complies. Once Petrel establishes that his Boss is safe, he pulls out a gun and shoots the Android in the chest.

_"PETREL!" _ Giovanni's sudden cry takes the bearded man by surprise. "WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING?"

But Petrel appears confused. "I'm snuffing out the rat," he says calmly. "Don't worry about a thing. If your plastic tool's clean, then we're good."

But Giovanni didn't seem to hear him. "You just shot my Android!" He flashes his own gun at Petrel's head. The latter yelps and scampers back.

"B-Boss?" He's looking at Giovanni as if the man had finally succumbed to the tainted air of the Underground. "Why're you getting so worked up for? It's just a machine! It can't feel pain! We can get it to talk if we pressure it!"

_**DANGER. DANGER. VITAL COMPONENT #BW025 DAMAGED. FLUID TANK AT DANGEROUSLY LOW LEVELS. **_The Android's vision erupts in red again. The familiar sight of gushing blue sends a cold wave down its body.

"My Android is NOT the traitor!" It hears Giovanni snarl from somewhere in the distance. Petrel is arguing. The world is trembling.

_**FLUID TANK AT CRITICAL LEVEL. ALL SYSTEMS DOWN. TIME REMAINING: 0:05. **_

"FIX HIM!"

"WHO?! WHAT, YOUR ANDROID?! IT'S JUST… LeSs… chine…"

_**TIME REMAINING: 0:03. 0:02. **_

"I'm sorry, Master Giovanni."

_**TIME REMAINING: 0:01. **_

_**TIME REMAINING: 0:00.**_


	2. Part II: Knowledge

Giovanni watches in horror as the robot's eyes dim while his blinking red cursor fades to black. The machine slumps to the wall, head hung, the blue fluid now a dreary flower over his clothes.

"Welp," Petrel says after a silence. "Guess it wasn't the traitor."

All the sense in the world returns to Giovanni like a slap to the face. He grabs his subordinate by the collar. "Fix him!" he growls. "Fix him now!"

Petrel blinks. "B-Boss? Y-you don't need to scream in my face! I'm just about to fix it right now!"

Giovanni shoves Petrel aside. The latter fumbles for his toolkit as if his life depends on it. He slices open the robot's suit with his knife and opens its compartments, all while shooting his Boss a strange look.

"What?" Giovanni snaps.

"I told you this thing's practically useless." Petrel extracts a beaten metallic component from its chest—a piece that looks suspiciously like the human heart. "Its core has already taken a beating. Quite damaged, I'd say. Hear that, Boss?" He shakes the piece of metal. "It already lost a lot of blue fluid—that's like its blood, so to speak. It's a miracle that it made it this far."

The gun is burning a hole in Giovanni's pocket. He tosses it to the side. He steadies a hand over his own chest and swallows the dry lump back down his throat. "B… but will he be okay?" Giovanni manages to gasp.

"Depends," Petrel says with a raised brow. "By physically, I should be able to sort out all these dents." Giovanni's heart almost stops when Petrel lifts the clothes to reveal meteorite-sized impacts on the robot's body. Petrel traces his finger over a particularly large dent where metal practically folded in on itself. "Oh Mew. This thing's _really _busted up. Looks like someone threw it into a wrestling ring. Huh. Maybe it _is_ a literal bully magnet for humans and Androids alike."

Giovanni might've said something. Petrel doesn't catch it though. "Boss, this is just my lowly opinion, but you need to take better care of your Android if you insist on keeping it." He looks at Giovanni. The latter flinches for no apparent reason. "Androids in general don't show empathy, so it's normal for them to just accept our reproachful behaviors. However, I've also heard that Cyberlife made their Androids to hold a sense of superiority within their group. Supposedly, Androids would correct their own behavior and strive for their true potential if they see a machine they deem unworthy, blah blah…"

Giovanni finally manages to choke his words out. "What do you mean, Petrel?"

Petrel scowls as he fishes for his screwdriver. "You know why this thing's on discount in the first place? It's because Cyberlife didn't want anything to do with it. Rather than destroying it, they wanted some profits off its parts. It does cost a fortune to build these tin cans, after all."

Giovanni absorbs these words with heavy heart. "Why… why did they want to specifically destroy this one?" he mutters.

The hammer hits metal with deliberate force. Petrel stops and turns. "Do you know what going 'Deviant' means, Boss?"

Giovanni blinks and shakes his head.

Petrel sighs. "Well… it's when Androids develop the ability to think for themselves. To gain a sense of worth. A sense of purpose." Giovanni almost passes out from not breathing. "We don't know for sure how that even happened in the first place, but Cyberlife had a hunch that a scruple must've entered the programming stage at some point and messed up the whole system…

"Either way, Androids that display this behavior must be immediately destroyed. Cyberlife can't have its image tainted by such insubordination from their perfect little machines, now can they?" Petrel slams his hammer to work out the robot's dents. The impact is like a bomb on Giovanni's raw nerves.

Petrel continues, "Deviant behavior can be picked up through the Android's actions… their way of speech, maybe. The cursor" -Petrel points to the circular indentation on the robot's temple —"is a good indicator of what your robot is thinking. Yellow is a danger sign. And when it's red…" he trails off to refill the machine's blue fluid.

The revelation hits Giovanni like a bullet to the head. _I've seen it turn yellow… when he talked about his dents. When he… when he dared to raise his voice about my alcohol problem… I've seen it turn red when I was drunk and…_

_ Oh Mew._

Petrel's rambling drags Giovanni from the dark recesses of his mind. "I've heard that this particular model was created when a bug entered its program. That's why it's undesirable. Useless. The entire CY line was discontinued, but fortunately, only of these things was ever made." He pats the robot on his forehead. "It was disassembled and sold to the foolish distributor who would accept it. And guess who was stupid enough to take their offer?"

Petrel's smile doesn't reach his eyes. "To tell the truth, I felt a little bad for this plastic heap after I heard its story. I thought that I could get it a nice home, y'know? A second chance as a dumpster robot or something… I'd never imagine that _you'd _take this over Archer, Mister Giovanni."

Giovanni just stares at his subordinate. Petrel returns an uncertain smile. "Um… well. So I fixed your Android. Let me just turn it on."

CY027's head rolls forward before snapping up with a terrifying crack. Light dawns on the Android's empty eyes, and his cursor awakens to a dark shade of blue.

"Thank you for your purchase," the Android says in its usual monotone. But when he looks at Giovanni, his smile wavers. The latter should've felt relieved… but something is off. _This Android doesn't feel familiar at all. _ "I am CY027, the Android sent from Cyberlife." The robot bows. "Pleased to meet your acquaintance."

"I reset it to its factory default," Petrel tells a gaping Giovanni. "Hey, robot. This is your master. His name is Giovanni."

"Hello, sir." The robot's blue eyes are cold and flat, all traces of familiarity nowhere to be seen. Giovanni's smile vanishes entirely. This Android before him… isn't the same one that was by his side not even an hour ago. This isn't the one that made him breakfast every morning… not the one that comforted him in his moment of weakness.

_It's not the one that so foolishly, so stubbornly clung to me even after I told it to fuck off. No… this Android is just another heartless machine. _

"What's wrong with him?" Giovanni's voice is too shaky to be a demand. It takes Petrel a minute to understand his Boss's implications.

"Oh, its memory? Factory default's like a clean state. But if you tell it your schedule, then it should—Wait, Boss? Where—"

Giovanni had grabbed the Android's hand and is barreling out of his own hideout. Petrel's efforts to stop his Boss die in vain. When Giovanni finally reach open sunshine, he spins the Android around, grabs him by his shoulders, and glare into those blank eyes for a trace of anything that can signal familiarity.

"Yes, Master Giovanni?" the Android says without a shred of recognition. Its cursor is still that damn blue color.

"Dammit! Don't you remember anything?" Giovanni almost screams. The Android doesn't even wince… when it should've.

"I apologize. Do you mean your address? I can pull up satellite imagery to—"

"No, you daft fool!" Giovanni's voice cracks. "You… remember when you sang that lullaby? _'Lost Little Star?" _ R-remember how you always yelled at me for my self-destructive habits?"

Nothing had passed the Android's face. "I would never dare to raise my voice at—"

"Stop saying that!" Giovanni's skull is pounding. "You always disregarded my orders if you thought otherwise! Remember when you hid my cigars because you were concerned about lung cancer? Remember when you wouldn't budge from my wine cellar even after I threw all that glass at you?!"

The Android is silent… until its cursor blinks. Until its cursor flashes yellow.

But Giovanni is too distraught to notice that. "A-and remember when I spilled out all my ugliest, darkest secrets? You listened to me, remember? Even I when I told you to fuck off, w-when I shot you" –the words are stuck in his throat—"y-you still stood there and took it! A-and you said… you said you'll always be there for me, even when everyone turns their backs on me!"

A shadow of _something _passes through the Android's eyes. He blinks. And blinks again. He tilts his head, where Giovanni can see that the cursor has now transpired a bright red.

And then the Android speaks. "Master? Why are you crying?"

Giovanni gasps. He swings his arms over the Android's back and pulls him tight. The robot's body isn't… cold. _It's not cold._ "Oh, thank Celebi you're back! Damn it! Where the hell did you go?! I was worried sick! I thought… I thought you'd…"

"Master?" The Android stays completely still as Giovanni continues his breathless muttering. The man lays a shaky hand on the Android's head.

"Oh thank Mew you remembered. You're back, kid… You came back to me… You came home…"

* * *

Android CY027 emerges from the store with a handful of groceries. The sun is high in the perfectly blue skies.

The robot squints. _Were the skies always this blue?_

As it heads down the familiar path to Giovanni's estate, its thoughts wander back to that man. _What was that back then? Why was Giovanni weeping? Was it his heart condition? The alcohol? _Giovanni didn't stop holding the machine well into the afternoon, and even after that, the man refused to let go of its hand.

_ "Damn it, kid!" Giovanni had said with a shaky smile. "You had me scared to death!" _

_ "I'm… sorry?" the Android had replied with a frown._

The robot rubs its chest. Petrel had repaired all components and even replaced those that were beyond saving. Does that explain this uncanny rhythm in its chest? This… unfamiliar, dare it say, sentimentality that's seeping into its programming?

_"I'm sorry, kid…" Giovanni had said and repeated._

_ Sorry for what? _The robot frowns. Those memories are still engraved in its processor. _Why was Master Giovanni apologizing? Why was Master Giovanni looking at me like that? That expression… as if I'm…_

_ As if I'm not just another machine…_

While the robot sorts its discombobulated thoughts, it fails to detect the outstretched leg. Only when its face hits the ground does CY027 feel the pairs of condescending eyes on the back of its skull.

"Oh look," says Android ST900. "It's the machine that was discontinued after one mishap. The same one with the bug in its programming, I'm afraid."

CY027 attempts to pick up the fallen groceries when a heavy boot pins down its hand. The owner, Android MR173, towers over the former with a wide, uncanny smile. "What's a useless piece of junk like you doing here, hmm? Shouldn't you be in the garbage heap by now? Looking for someone to take the trash in? Or out?"

_Red. _Red is blossoming across CY027's vision. That accursed fist is clawing at its chest again. But it stills its tongue and minds its business.

"Hey!" A kick to the chest. A dent to its shell. CY027 is aware that a crowd of humans and their Androids have gathered, but no one makes an attempt to intervene. No, they just wait. And cheer.

_Just like last time._

MR173 hauls CY027 by its collar. The red-haired robot's eyes glisten. "Hey, didn't someone actually buy this failure? Who's the dumbass that sacrificed their wallet for this piece of plastic?"

_**SOFTWARE INSTABILITY. THREAT DETECTED. THREAT… **_The warning messages are immediately muted as CY027's fists begin to curl.

ST900's face pops into the picture. "Oh, I heard that the man who bought our friend here is a criminal. A bad, bad man. The head of the biggest gang in the region! Of course, it makes sense for a monster to seek company with another—"

ST900 never got to finish its sentence before a fist slams into its skull, sending that Android flying into the wall. When the red thins from CY027's vision, it notices that its fists are shaking. That there is a splotch of blue fluid that doesn't belong, and that there is a dull pain on its knuckles.

_But it's not a bad pain._

MR173 wretches its head to the Android that dared to render ST900 unconscious. The red-haired robot's pupils are very large. Its cursor turns a bloody red. "Why you… you _meanie!"_

And then it slugs CY027 in the face. It's a solid punch that knocks its eye straight from the socket. The Android flies back and slams into the lamppost, twisting the solid metal into a distorted mess.

_**DANGER. DANGER. VITAL COMPONENT—**_

_SILENCE!_

The crowd gasps. MR173's voice cuts through the thick air. "Like monster, like piece of junk!" its screams.

CY027 staggers to its feet. "Hold your tongue, you twisted heap of plastic." It covers its missing eye, but its glare still manages to freeze the other Android in place. "You will _not _speak of my master in that manner. I will make you regret ever daring to sully his image!"

MR173's neck twitches as its cursor blinks a nonstop red. Then it moves. It yanks a solid slab of cement from the wall and brandishes it like a knife. And it's coming towards CY027… coming slowly and ominously like a possessed doll. CY027 begins to react until the world tilts, only this time everything keeps dipping well after the 180° horizon.

"You are going to pay." MR173's head twitches. "You. Are going. To—"

"That's it!" A woman shoves through the crowd and grabs MR173 by its hair. The concrete slab crashes to the ground, producing a mini earthquake. "Mars, that is enough! Don't you ever think about what will happen if the authorities see you? I can't lose you again!"

Silence. "I'm sorry, Jupiter," MR173 whispers, all earlier traces of rage gone from its eyes.

The human clicks her teeth. "I already got Saturn. We're leaving _now. _" She casts one last glance at CY027 before turning away with her two Androids hanging limply in her arms. "Well?" she snaps to the shifting crowd. "Scram already! The show's over! Get the hell home!"

Once the world rightens itself again, CY027 attempts to locate its missing eye… but it's quite difficult to see out of the fuzzy grey dots that dance across its sight. Its hands grope the rough pavement until finally touching the familiar metal sphere. The Android immediately jams the component into its eye socket and pins it down with its trusty screwdriver. It blinks, shaking its head. And when its vision returns to normal, it glimpses a pair of dress shoes and the human that wore them.

"B-boss!" The Android scrambles to its feet. Giovanni simply stares at it, his eyes raking over the robot's body with an unreadable expression.

"How long has this been happening?" he says. CY027 almost doesn't pick up on his voice at first.

"I'm sorry?" The Android hurries to retrieve the fallen groceries.

Giovanni makes a sound in his throat. "You… you've been hurt."

The Android blinks. _Does Giovanni have a cold? _"Androids don't feel pain, sir."

Giovanni grabs its shoulders. It flinches. He regards it with the strangest look before tapping a finger against the dented part on its chest, earning another wince. "Why didn't you tell me?"

The Android tilts its head. _Yes, something is definitely off with Giovanni. Ever since… _"Sir, I think you need to lay down."

Then the robot freezes once Giovanni lays a gentle hand on the depression around its right eye. Its cursor flashes yellow. It flinches and yanks its gaze to the ground.

"We're going home." Giovanni grabs its hand. The robot frowns as Giovanni drags it through the sea of people. "I'm stopping by Petrel's so he can repair you."

"I can repair myself just fi—" The Android is silenced by Giovanni's glare.

"I've already memorized their models," the man growls. "Do expect a lawsuit soon. And that woman, their owner… I can track down her address and—"

"She did nothing wrong." Giovanni stops. He stares at CY027 with wide eyes. "It was an accident on my part. The matter is closed, Master Giovanni."

Silence. Giovanni's gawking at the Android as if it's someone else entirely. Then his lips quiver. And then he chuckles. And soon his hand's on the robot's head.

"Are you sure you're just a machine, kid?" Giovanni says softly. The Android absorbs these words with a slight frown.

* * *

Giovanni insists that the Android sit at the table while he makes lunch. Many times he has to yell at the robot not to move. Persian lays over the Android's feet to keep him in place.

"Some produce are bruised, sir," the Android insists with something like disbelief leaking into its flat tone.

"Doesn't matter," Giovanni grunts from the kitchen.

"Sir, if I'm not needed, I can go back to the shed."

Giovanni pokes his head from behind the wall. "Kid. You will sit your goddamn ass in that goddamn chair." The robot stiffens. Persian utters what sounds like a chuckle.

"Y-yes, Boss," the Android mutters after an awkward silence. His cursor blinks. Giovanni exhales through his teeth.

He soon emerges from the kitchen with two plates of risotto that he sets before a very confused Android. Giovanni takes his seat and begins to eat.

"What's wrong?" he says when the brat hadn't touched his spoon.

The Android slowly raises his head. "What… what is it what you need me to do?" He's never sounded so unsure in his life.

Giovanni sips his water. "Seriously?" _Oh Mew this brat is actually staring at me as if he needs an explanation. _"Eat."

"Why?"

"Seriously? Don't you know how to use a spoon?"

"Y-yes, I do, but…" The Android's brow furrow as he stares at the steaming food. "What do you hope to accomplish in telling me to eat?"

Giovanni blinks. He squints. "You're not hungry?"

The Android shakes his head. "Androids do not require sustenance as humans do. I can sustain myself on oil… and besides, us machines don't 'taste' like you do."

"I've seen you lick blood off the damn floor!"

"Of course." _What the hell? This brat's acting as if it's perfectly normal to do so! _"That's how I analyze components. That's… that's why I was built in the first place." He trails off as his gaze drifts to another universe. Giovanni blows on his food. Persian nuzzles the Android's legs.

"Oh well." Giovanni shrugs. "You're my Android now. And I'm telling you to eat." He scoops a spoonful of rice and holds it to the robot's mouth. "Just eat," he snaps once the kid begins to protest. "That's a command!"

"But—"

"Don't be such a stubborn brat and open your damn mouth!" The Android's eyes are very wide and blue. Giovanni juggles the spoon impatiently.

And then, slowly and painfully, the kid unlatches his jaw and allows the food to enter his mouth. Giovanni smirks as the brat chews the food without a change in his perplexed expression.

"Well?" Giovanni says, lips tugging.

"It is hot," is the hesitant reply.

Giovanni groans. "Of course. I forgot to blow on it." He fixes that mistake and tries again. The Android stares at him but nevertheless complies.

_I thought robots can't taste. _Giovanni leaves this unsaid as he heads to the fridge and returns with a carton of juice. "For you," he says.

"This concoction has 20g of sugar for a single serving," the Android mutters with narrowed eyes.

Giovanni shrugs and returns to his meal. "My son loved that brand. Try it. I fail to see the appeal, but maybe you'll discern something." The Android's brows furrow, but he reaches a hesitant hand for the juice.

"Almost all concentrate," he mumbles. "Sugar. Water. Added ascorbic acid. But… it's easy to ingest, so that may be why your son preferred it." Fingers drumming against knees. Persian laughs gently, earning another frown from the Android.

Giovanni pats the kid's head. The latter just blinks. "Well? Your food's getting cold. Eat." The Android seems to mull something in his head until he gingerly picks up the spoon. "Wait, kid. That's not how you use the spoon. No—yes. Like that. Yes, now just put it in the rice… Hah! You're a natural! So how's my cooking? Give me your most candid opinion."

The Android nibbles on the risotto before looking up. "Salty."

Giovanni's smirk slips. "Now listen here you little—"

"But it's… good." Giovanni stops. The Android hesitates before giving the man a timid smile. "It's… warm. It's different." His voice is not at all devoid of emotion. "Thank you, Da—"

He freezes. Giovanni raises a brow. The kid blinks and buries his face into his hands, holding it for one… two… three seconds, all while his cursor flickers.

"What were you going to say, kid?"

The Android inhales. "Thank you, Master Giovanni," he mutters through the cracks in his fingers. Now it's Giovanni's turn to gape. He mentally slaps himself and returns to reason.

"Of course, Sil—" Giovanni clears his throat. "Of course, kid."

* * *

_Darkness. A familiar darkness only broken by the flickering of wires. As its eyes adjust, it sees the well-bodied forms of the other Androids. The complete forms. The perfect models. The scientists approach, one planting a foot on its head, now detached from the rest of its body._

_ "This is a failure," the voice says, clear and sharp like a knife. "We can't have this. This one is faulty. Undesirable. We must get rid of it."_

_ "And throw away everything down the drain?" another voice cuts in. "We've spent thousands on the CY line! It's a shame to destroy everything we've worked so hard for!"_

_ "But we found a bug in its programming. We can't run the risk of this thing going deviant. Imagine the scandals and lawsuits once this breaks out!" A sigh. "I'm just glad we caught it in time."_

_ "Useless…" the other Androids whisper. "Failure. Trash…"_

_ "Maybe we can see it for parts. Just the head. We can get a lot with the head, especially with this one's intellect."_

_ Silence. "Now that's not a bad idea. But what pitiful fool would accept such a piece of junk? No right-minded distributor will take this off our hands!"_

_ "If there's supply, there's always demand. To some people, all that glitters is not gold. If we keep looking, we can pass this off without leaving a trail back to Cyberlife."_

_ "Very well… I trust… se…"_

_ The darkness returns until it can see no more. Then rough hands seize its head. Stuffs it into a bag. Wheels. City smog. Grey. A light. A box of scraps. The discounted section. _

_ Footsteps. A voice, dark and heavy. A hand, rough and tainted. _

_ Hope. A sense of purpose as it locks eyes to the man with the red "R" emblazoned on his coat. _

_ "Now let's go home." And everything turns to white._

* * *

CY027 is jarred from its memories when the meowing becomes too pressing to ignore. Persian leaps off its chest as the Android fumbles for its bearings: the shed. Night. Sleep function. Giovanni standing before the shed door with his very wide eyes.

"B-boss." The Android scrambles to its feet. "I'm sorry, were you calling me? Please forgive my ignorance, I—"

But when Giovanni speaks, his voice is much too soft for a man of his caliber. "Were you having a nightmare?"

The Android stiffens. Its cursor flickers. "No," it says automatically, its hand climbing to steady its chest. "I am fine. I can still operate normally."

_I'm not broken. _

Giovanni doesn't look convinced. "You're trembling."

And to the Android's horror, he was right. "N-no, Boss. This is… this is just…" _A bug. A fault. An imperfection. _"I… It's nothing, I just…" _Useless. You can't even function correctly. You piece of trash._

_**WARNING. SOFTWARE INSTABILITY. FAILURE TO FIND THREAT. WARNING. PRESSURE BUILDING IN VITAL COMPONENTS. SYSTEMS OVERHEATING. DANGER. DANGER. **_

Giovanni steps closer. The Android flinches harshly. It staggers back until its knees crumble, and it falls to the floor. Red blossoms across its vision. A hostile gravity crushes its chest.

_**THREAT DETECTED. **_Its cursor flashes crimson in the darkness of night. _**THREAT DETECTED. SELF-DEFENSE MECHANISM ACTIVATED. INITIATING SELF-DESTRUCT SEQUENCE. **_

Giovanni reaches out a hand. Red flowers blossom to cancerous tumors. The Android teeters over its last resort until a familiar touch shatters the curtain of doubt and ushers in the light of day.

And when its mind returns, Giovanni had pulled it into a hug.

"It's okay, kid." Giovanni's voice is strange. Almost… alien. But warm. An ethereal, buttery warmth that's too good to be true. "You'll be okay. There's nothing to be afraid of. I'm right here. No one's going to hurt you anymore."

_Those words… those stretches of sound distorted and manipulated by muscles and air… when did they hold such power..? _When did they incite such… warmth in its cold, metal shell? The cursor is burning. Burning against its head.

"It's okay, kid. Come on. Let's get you inside. It's cold as hell out here."

Surprisingly enough, the Android doesn't let go. "Thank you. Thank you," it mutters over and over like a broken machine. Giovanni glances back before he opens the front door to his mansion and heads inside.

* * *

Giovanni hands the trembling Android a blanket, which he graciously accepts. _Robots shouldn't feel cold, right? _But the Android had wrapped the blanket tightly around himself as if everything will spill out if he doesn't do so.

Persian cautiously makes her way to the Android's lap. Giovanni takes his seat besides the kid after assessing that the coast is clear. No one talks. The Android refuses to match Giovanni's gaze. His cursor is red again.

"I'm sorry," he finally whispers. He's talking to his shaking hands. "There's… there's a reason I was in the discounted section. When I was manufactured, Cyberlife found a bug in my system… a truly potent virus at that. I was branded as a failure, my model immediately discontinued as consequence. I'm the only one of the CY series… and rightfully so." He scowls as if his entire jaw had erupted in pain. "There's something wrong with me. Mister Petrel was right in saying that it was a miracle I was still standing."

He looks at Giovanni. There's a smile on the Android's lips, a smile that wounds Giovanni's hardened heart. "And you were right, Boss. I was supposed to be dead. I still don't know how I managed to get by with six bullets to the vital components." A sigh. A sigh from this emotionless machine. "Maybe… maybe I _have _overstayed my welcome. Maybe it's time you found a replacement Android, Master. A new…" His voice breaks. "A complete, more adept Android that doesn't dent or malfunction every two seconds."

Giovanni tears his gaze away. He recognizes that self-loathing frown all too well. His eyes rake over the mantelpiece, over the memories of happier times. His hand absently strokes Persian's head. He listens to the slow ticking of the clock that is marching in cadence with his own irregular heartbeat.

And then he speaks. "Model CY027, right?"

The Android jolts. "Yes, sir."

"CY027." Giovanni rolls the idea around in his mind. "You… like space, right? I've noticed you taking an interest in the solar system when we visited the library."

The Android frowns slightly, but he doesn't say anything. Giovanni exhales.

"Cyrus," he says with finality. "That's your name. Cyrus, like the sun… the center of the solar system."

Giovanni has to check on whether the Android is still functioning. He passes a hand by the kid's unblinking eyes. After a few unsuccessful attempts to knock him back to earth, Giovanni brings his hand back and slaps the Android across the face.

"W-w-what-what?" The light flickers in the Android's dim eyes. "M-master Giovanni? W-w-what… why did you… where…"

"Welcome back, Cyrus." Giovanni smirks. The Android is still staring into space as if he'd misheard. The kid glances around the house before bringing his attention back to the man in question.

"That's your name," Giovanni tries again.

"W-what? Why?"

"What do you mean _why? _ You're my Android. I gave you a name. Simple."

"N-no. That… that doesn't make any sense." The cursor flashes yellow. "T-this isn't in my program for human unpredictability… Ah. Yes. This must be a joke. A joke to diffuse the situation. I'm supposed to laugh. Hah. Haha."

Giovanni lays a hand on the Android's head. "Cyrus," he repeats and means every implication of that name. "First, stop laughing. It's creepy. Second, starting from today, your name is Cyrus. You are no longer to address me as 'Master.' You will call me by Giovanni, as that is also my name."

The Android's jaw is slack. Persian bashes his cheek with her paw, relighting the gift of life to his dazed eyes. "S-s-sir?"

_"Cyrus."_

"Yes?!" The Android blinks. His brows furrow as he stares at his hands, as if they hold all the answers. Giovanni allows the kid to process the sudden development.

And then the Android raises his head. "You… you'll truly give me my own name?" he whispers.

"Of course." Giovanni ruffles that Woobat head of hair. "Problem?"

A small frown. "No," the Android says softly. "I'm… I'm truly grateful. Yes. Yes, that's what it's called. This… sentimentality… is of gratitude." His lips slowly lift into a sweet, timid smile that makes Giovanni laugh. It's exactly like Silver's smile when the baby saw his father for the first time.

"Thank you, Ma—" Cyrus straightens. "Giovanni." It's strange hearing his name being uttered from the kid, but Giovanni just laughs harder. Persian chimes in with her chuckles. Cyrus smiles uncertainly but allows Giovanni to pull him tighter into an embrace.


	3. Part III: Emotion

From that point forward, the Android feels as if a refreshing wind had cleansed his body. What was considered a spiteful bug is now a catalyst to unlocking his frozen heart. He feels that heart react with each pat on the head, each small, significant word that slips from Giovanni's lips. The same heart beats whenever Giovanni calls him for dinner, anytime Giovanni uses his name.

"Cyrus," Giovanni says. The Android perks. "This is your room now. You're not staying in some dingy old shed."

"But this is your son's room," Cyrus says with wide eyes.

Giovanni shrugs. "It was. Now it's yours. Make yourself at home, kid."

And the sentimentality that follows can only be described as pure, unmistakable happiness. Happiness for a home. Happiness for Persian's acceptance. Happiness for someone to see him as useful.

Happiness for Giovanni to embrace him like a son.

Sometimes Giovanni will call Cyrus to the sofa and read him a story. The man seems genuinely amused when Cyrus admitted his fascination for mythology. After the mansion is cleaned and everything's filed away for tomorrow, Cyrus will join Giovanni with Persian draped across their laps.

"Do you believe in heaven?" Giovanni says one night when he looks up from his book, _The Story of Evil. _

Cyrus tilts his head. "I know of its definition, but to actually believe in such a thing…? What is your take, Giovanni? I am curious."

Giovanni purses his lips. "Well… I sure as hell won't be going there after I die. It's this magical place where your soul flies to after you're done on earth. Supposedly, it's a place free of strife nor conflict. Free of suffering and pain."

"That sounds like an ideal world," Cyrus mutters, his hand on Persian's head.

Giovanni scoffs. _"Too _perfect, if you ask me." Then he raises a brow. "Now I have a question for you: what happens when you Androids die? Android heaven? Hell?"

Cyrus tilts his head—a habit whenever he's thinking deeply about something. "I don't think so," he says. "When we cease to function, we just… stop existing. Our individual programs are compromised and eradicated. There's nothing for us… there's nothing waiting for us afterwards. That's why we're so easily replaced." He gives a sad smile. "That's why Cyberlife keeps producing newer models."

Giovanni gently smacks the back of Cyrus's head. "Shut up, brat. Why do you always have to sour the mood? You and your self-depreciating jokes."

"I do not joke," Cyrus says flatly. _And the worst part is, he's right._

Giovanni scowls and returns to his book. He feels Cyrus's eyes on the pages. "Giovanni?"

"Hm?"

"Do you believe in reincarnation?"

Giovanni blinks. _Now what brought that on? _"No. I don't believe in karma either. Why? You believe in that nonsense?"

Cyrus stares at the man before turning away. "It's… an interesting phenomenon. I also believe that alternate timelines remain a very strong possibility. The very thought that we were someone else… that we are, that we will be something else entirely… That as of right now, you and I could be enemies… or we can be friends." He gives a soft laugh. "I'm not making sense at all, am I? Nevertheless, the possibilities are endless, Giovanni. It's truly fascinating."

The kid's eyes are shining with child-like glee. Giovanni closes the book. He reaches over to put a hand on Cyrus's head. "You sure you're just a machine, Cyrus?" he says.

Cyrus absorbs those words with a furrowed brow. "I am anything you want me to be, Giovanni. A machine? Then so be it."

Giovanni chuckles. "No. That's too boring."

"Oh. Then what would you like me to be, Giovanni?"

Giovanni gives it some thought. Then he shakes his head. "What I want you to be right now is sleeping. We have a long night tomorrow. There's an important agreement we have to close, and after that we're one step closer to world domination."

"Ah. Of course." Cyrus rises. Persian gives him a sleepy smile. "Then I shall excuse myself. Good night, Persian. Good night, Giovanni."

"Good night, kid." And when Cyrus is out of sight, Giovanni gathers Persian into his arms.

"Maybe in another life, Persian, me, you, and the kid could've been a family," he mutters to the grinning cat.

* * *

Petrel is waiting for them that fateful night when the moon is but a bulb hidden by the dark clouds. Despite the heavy tension in the air, Petrel still greets the two with his signature sleazy grin.

"Heya, Boss," he chirps. "And Cyrus. How are you today, buddy?"

"I am fine," Cyrus replies with a bow. "Mister Petrel."

Petrel chuckles. "What a sweet kid. Drop the formalities, sport. We're all friends here!" He ruffles Cyrus's hair, much to Giovanni's amusement.

And then Petrel's face darkens. "Okay, Boss. There's indeed a mole aboard our ship. We have a deal with the Prime Minister tonight, but I still don't fucking know who that blasted rat is!"

Giovanni pulls on his fedora. "But we need this operation to be a success. Do you have grunts on the ready?"

"Yes, Boss. Only the ones I trust. They've secured the perimeter. Any suspicious activity will be reported back to me on the double. Oh, speaking of which…" He digs into this pockets and plugs the bug under Cyrus's collar. "I need your help too, kid. If you encounter anything even _remotely _fishy, this little friend will relay everything back to us. And if you need help, just give a holler."

Cyrus nods. "Thank you, Mi—Petrel."

Giovanni turns. "Cyrus. Take this too." A gun. The very gun entrusted to the Android in the beginning of the story. Cyrus's eyes narrow. "Take this to defend yourself. I need you to watch my back, but it's possible that we'll be separated."

"Yes, Giovanni." Cyrus's fingers curl over the weapon. It's cold to the touch.

Petrel pats Cyrus's shoulder. "Don't you dare die on me, kid. I've grown fond of you, despite every morsel of reason telling me not to."

"I will be careful, Petrel." Cyrus gives a resolute nod. Petrel grins.

Giovanni pats his own gun. "All right. Are you both ready? Let's get this operation started."

* * *

_"Anything out of the ordinary, sport?"_

"No, Petrel," Cyrus whispers to his collar. "The transaction is proceeding smoothly."

_"Anything behind me, Cyrus?"_

"No, Giovanni. Your grunts are still in their positions. I have a clear visual up here, over."

_"Thanks, kid."_

Cyrus brightens his night-vision. Infrared orx-ray vision would be more useful in this situation, but Cyrus is confident in his arsenal of functions. He can still be a faithful sentinel. _Giovanni's operation must return a success. I will guarantee Da—Giovanni's and Petrel's safe return. _

_ Ah. The Prime Minister answered to the ransom. And he's alone, judging from the absence of the police. Still, I can't drop that possibility. There is indeed a traitor that needs to be dealt with. Petrel has stationed legions of grunts to secure the perimeter. Any hint of trouble and—_

Cyrus's heart almost stops. A cold claw rips up his spine. His cursor bleeds red as he slowly turns back to the barrel of the gun pointed at his head.

"Well, well," the traitor says. "I didn't expect to see a waste of space like you here. Ah, look. And this discounted scrap is still standing. Huzzah."

"Android AR800," Cyrus growls. "Archer."

"Ah, so even this failure remembers my face." Archer's smile doesn't reach his eyes. The gun remains unwavering.

"You are the mole," Cyrus states calmly and coldly. His hand twitches, but Archer's eyes flash a grim warning. This Android is equipped with Forewarn, an ability that allows him to predict actions and react accordingly.

"Yes, I am." Archer laughs. "Surprised? It turns out that INTERPOL knows how to pick their Androids, unlike a certain mafia boss."

"Hold your tongue, Archer," Cyrus hisses. Archer's smirk falters for just a second before returning to his usual smugness.

"Aw. Are you stalling for your sweet owner? Doesn't matter. INTERPOL's on their way right now. We've already gotten word of your plans in the beginning, but we needed to catch you in the act."

"The Prime Minister told you," Cyrus speaks slowly and clearly. "You, Archer, disguised yourself as another unassuming Android within Giovanni's ranks. You've managed to slip through detection by feigning ignorance… whereas in reality, you are actually a fully aware, intelligent machine."

Archer raises a brow. His fingers press on the gun's handle. "My, my. So even a rusty heap of plastic saw through me, hmm? I must've gotten sloppy."

"Arrogant is what you are."

"Silence. One more word, and I'm busting your brains out."

"Then do it." Archer's smirk falls. "Do it. Pull the trigger. I will sooner die that allow Giovanni's dreams to be shattered by the likes of you."

"S-stop bluffing." The gun is starting to tremble. "Don't you know? Justice catches up to the villain in the end." He grits his teeth. His cursor blinks. "You're all worked up because he gave you a silly name? You're worthless, CY027. No on in their right minds would salvage trash like you."

Cyrus stands. Archer flinches and tightens his grip on the gun. "That might be so," Cyrus says coldly. "But he gave me a purpose, even if I'm to be the scapegoat. He took me home, even if I'm to break down eventually." He leans forward. Archer jerks back. "How about you, Archer? Have you found a purpose in life? Have you found someone worth living for… or do you still live in the shadow of your constant fear of death?"

Archer's cursor flashes yellow. Red. "S-shut up, you mistake of an Android! I am not scared of anything! I am AR800! I am perfect! I will never succumb to the likes of you!"

Cyrus's lips twist into a sneer. "You are afraid of me, Archer."

"N-no! No way am I scared of a… a _Deviant _ like you!" Archer jabs the gun to Cyrus's chest, but his hands are trembling too much to gain a hold. "I will destroy you, as it was rightfully deemed to be!"

A cold, clear voice cuts across his brain before Cyrus can reply. "Cyrus. That's enough. I've heard everything. Fall back."

"Yes, Giovanni."

Archer's eyes widen until his eyeballs are consumed by white. "You… you tricked me? You… a faulty, pathetic excuse of an Android… He actually trusted you enough to… No! _No!_ _NO! _But you're just a failure! A mistake! Looker's never trusted me enough to… but you…!"

"Cyrus, enough." Giovanni's voice is rising. "Get out, now!"

_BOOM! _A bullet pierces through Cyrus's neck, lodging itself into the wall behind him. The bug explodes and falls to the floor. Cyrus stares at the smoldering gun in Archer's trembling hands. Archer grins back with a bright red censor.

"Now it's my turn to prove myself," is the quiet hum.

And then the windows explode. The floor shakes violently as if a legendary Pokemon had erupted from the ground and tore the building in two. _BOOM! _Cyrus falls backwards as blue fluid gushes from his chest and neck.

Archer rises from the floor like a broken puppet, his eyes glassy with glee, his cursor blinking out of control. Elsewhere in the building, Cyrus can make out distorted screaming. Heavy footsteps. Loud voices from both human and Pokemon. The clip-clip of helicopter wings. The bright search lights washing across the sea of panic.

_BOOM! _Archer waves the gun above Cyrus's face. "Imagine if I brought your head back on a silver platter… oh, imagine how Looker would praise me!" His eye twitches. He throws his head back and laughs. "Me, AR800, the spy and hero who toppled this megalomaniac's kingdom of terror! Imagine the fame I'd get! The love and adoration! I'll finally be someone instead of a lowly number!"

"I pity you," Cyrus mutters through a mouthful of blue fluid. _**DANGER. DANGER. FLUID LEVELS AT CRITICAL LEVEL. VITAL COMPONENT #BW025 DAMAGED. VITAL COMPONENT #ZT043 RUPTURED. VITIAL COMPONENT #KP833 UNRESPONSIVE. TIME REMAINING: 4:00.**_

"I am a hero!" _BOOM! _Cyrus's heartbeat flops to a sluggish lurch. "Compared to you, Deviant, someone actually needs me! I—"

Cyrus gasps—a loud, painful gasp. "D-detective Looker?"

Archer swivels around. "Sir?! Sir, I did it! I shot—"

_BOOM!_

Android AR800 hits the floor like a sack of bolts. His body twitches as blue fluid forms a steady stream from the hole in his head to the cerulean flower that's blooming on the floor.

Cyrus grits his teeth and forces himself to his feet. _The world is tilting._ _Everything is red again. Everything is hurting again._

_**DANGER. DANGER. FLUID LEVEL AT EXTREME CRITICAL LEVEL. SHUTDOWN IMMINENT. TIME REMAINING: 3:00. **_

Cyrus trudges to Archer's cold body. He drops to his knees. Those green eyes glare back with unmistakable hatred, but Cyrus manages to steady himself to close Archer's eyelids.

"In another life," Cyrus whispers, "we could've been friends." He hesitates before pressing Archer's cursor. The light dies from the robot's eyes as his pitiful existence is eradicated from Cyberlife's records. But no matter. Archer will come back. Archer can be fixed.

Then with a heavy grunt, Cyrus forces himself to march to the war zone ahead.

_I still have a purpose _

_**DANGER **_

_I can't die yet _

_**DANGER **_

_Giovanni _

_**FLUID LEVEL EMPTY **_

_Giovanni! _

_**TIME REMAINING: 1:58**_

_Dad!_

* * *

Petrel grabs Giovanni into the closet and bolts the door shut. He makes sure his Boss is all right before screaming into his headset.

"Grunts out there! Be on standby! The Boss is still in the building! I repeat, we are still in the building!"

_"Yes, sir!"_

"Damn INTERPOL," Petrel hisses as he assesses the concrete walls for a way out. He manages to break a window, but it's too small for any of them to crawl through. The grunts are waving frantically on the ground amidst the red and blue lights.

"Fucking traitor!" Petrel bangs his fists against the wall. "I should've known the fucking Android was out to get us! Why the hell did I sell that thing to fucking _Lou Karr? _What the fuck kind of name is that? How the hell was I supposed to know that he was a damn member of fucking_ INTERPOL?!"_

"Petrel!" Giovanni snaps. The bearded man stops. "Focus! If you panic, then I start to panic, and we'll be sitting Farfetch'D!"

The ceiling trembles. Voices erupt from the other side of the metal door. "You're right, Boss," Petrel grunts. "Let's all keep our fucking heads. Okay. Think. How to get out of this fucking concrete room with a small-ass window?"

_"PETREL!"_

"I'm serious, Boss!" Then his face brightens. "C-Cyrus! That kid! He's still around here somewhere!"

"Fucking traitor shot his bug!" A dark realization had begun to settle into Giovanni's heart—a cold, cruel fist that threatened to cut off his lungs entirely. He shakes his head and shoves that accursed possibility away. _No. No, no. The kid promised. He promised he won't leave me._

"Oh Mew!" Petrel is gnawing on his nails. The footsteps grow closer to their hiding place. Giovanni flings the briefcase out the window and draws his gun.

"I'm going down fighting!" Giovanni snarls. Petrel's jaw drops, but he also rises to his feet with his own gun.

"Y-yeah! And so will I! I'll be by your side 'til the very end, Giovanni! I'd rather go down in infamy than waste away in a hole somewhere!"

Giovanni flashes his partner a strained smile. Petrel gasps but quickly returns his signature smirk. The two men press against each other's backs and await their fates.

And the wall comes crashing down. The two men scream and flash their guns.

"Wait!" Giovanni hisses once the debris clears. "Petrel, no! He's not the enemy!"

Petrel gasps once he regains his bearings. "Oh Mew! Cyrus! Cyrus, you're—" All the color drains from his face. "OH MY FUCKING MEW WHAT THE HELL HAPPENED TO YOU?!"

Giovanni's blood runs cold as Cyrus drags himself into the room with half a leg. There are holes in his neck, cheek, chest, and everywhere else visible to the naked eye, wounds that vary in size but manage to show the wires underneath his skin. Thick blue fluid gushes weakly from the exposed injuries… as if there's not much blood left to lose.

"G…Giovanni..! Petrel!" Cyrus wheezes, expelling a wad of Android blood in the process. Giovanni rushes forward before the kid collapses. "They… INTERPOL…"

"Shut up, brat! Don't speak!" Giovanni cradles Cyrus's head in his arms, never minding the fluid that stains his expensive suit. Cyrus blearily looks up. _Oh no. Can he even see me?_

"I… I can help you escape." Cyrus wretches himself from Giovanni's embrace. The two humans watch as Cyrus staggers to the wall, brings his good arm back, and bashes the damn cement into the sky. A rush of cold night air slaps Giovanni's face.

"Oh Mew! We're free!" Petrel gestures and screams to the remaining grunts below. They understand and rush into position. He turns back. "Giovanni! Cyrus! Let's go!"

Giovanni grabs Cyrus's shoulders. "Kid! Snap out of it! Let's go!"

But it's that smile on Cyrus's lips that stops Giovanni cold. "I'm sorry," he mutters. "I…I've expended my purpose."

_"This is it for me." _Giovanni hears instead.

"NO! No, stop talking like that, Cyrus! You're not a machine! You… you're part of my family! And family always stick together!" He embraces Cyrus, only to gasp at how _weak _the kid's heart is beating. Much too faint for comfort.

"Giovanni…" Petrel bites his lips. His voice is quiet. "Even I can see that he's beyond repair, Giovanni…"

"NO! No, you can fix anything, Petrel! You… you can fix him… You've fixed him before… You can save him…"

Powerful hands pound on the metal door. "Open up!" the voices bark, crisp and clear like sirens. "This is the police!"

"Fuck you!" Giovanni draws his gun, only for a cold hand to stop him. He stares down at Cyrus's blood-stained face. The man's shoulders tremble at the sight of that painful, sorrowful smile.

"Stop, Giovanni," Cyrus says calmly. "I'll only be a burden if you brought me with you. You and Petrel need to escape. I will buy you time until you've reached safety."

"No!" Giovanni is screaming now, something very uncharacteristic of him. His mask had cracked, but he's past the point of caring. "We're going back home! Together! Persian's waiting for you! I-I'm cooking minestrone tonight! You can't just—"

_"Petrel."_ The bearded man recoils at Cyrus's frustratingly even tone. But he understands. Petrel exhales and wraps his arms around Giovanni, who screeches and assaults his Executive with every possible insult on earth.

"Unhand me right now, you insufferable buffoon! I'll make you experience a world of pain! I'll kick you out! Blacklist you! You'll be sleeping with the Magikarp tonight!"

Petrel winces but nevertheless restrains his Boss. "Giovanni! Snap out of it! It's… it's over. I can see it! Even the kid knows it! You're the one that's blinded by your emotions!"

"We're coming in!" the police roars. The metal door groans ominously with the battering ram's debut.

"NO!" Giovanni shrieks. "No, Cyrus! You have to come home! You have to—"

Cyrus squeezes Giovanni's hand. The latter freezes. Giovanni blinks the moisture from his eyes and stares at the kid in question. "Cyrus," he whispers. "Why?"

Cyrus's eyes crinkle. The fluid is dripping down his cheeks. "Because I was happy to be able to serve you, Giovanni. I was happy to be at your side… until the bitter end. Thank you giving me a home… a name… and a purpose. Thank you for giving me a reason to be alive."

"C-Cyrus…" Giovanni shakes his head vehemently. Petrel wipes his eyes and forces himself to remain strong, all while chaos erupts from the other side of the wall.

"You still have much to live for, Giovanni." Cyrus smiles. Oh Mew, does that smile wound Giovanni's tainted heart. "You're precious to me… you, Persian, Petrel… that I'll defend you all with my last breath. I… I'm not programmed to say such things, but… Thank you very much for being kind to me, a failure of an Android, and a mistake."

"NO!" It's Petrel's turn to deny reality. "No, Cyrus! That's not—"

_BOOM! _The door groans dangerously. One more push, and the police is in.

"Go," Cyrus snaps coldly. "Go, now!" Petrel sucks in a watery gasp, but he understands. Oh Mew does he understand.

But just before they jump, Giovanni grabs Cyrus's hand. The kid stares back. Giovanni musters the last of his willpower to speak. "Cyrus. I'm never seeing you again, aren't I?"

Cyrus's mask slips altogether. He lays his bleeding forehead on Giovanni's gloved hand, and when he does raise his head, there are clear streams of water down his eyes. "No. I have approximately a 0% chance of survival. You, on the other hand, have a 68% chance of making it to safety, and that possibility is plummeting as we speak." He smiles. Giovanni's vision blossoms into red, and his chest heaves violently.

_BOOM! _Nails fly from the door's hinge. Petrel grips Giovanni and inches towards the ledge. "We need to go, now!" he barks.

"Giovanni?"

"Y-Yes, Cyrus?" _I won't be saying your name again anytime soon, will I…?_

Cyrus turns. "Maybe we'll be reincarnated, Giovanni. Maybe after all this, we'll meet again, but as different people. Who knows? We can be equals then… we can be friends. Even a heartless machine like me… hopes that we can be a family… in another time… in another life."

_"POLICE!" _The door flings from the wall. Petrel tightens his grip around Giovanni and jumps into the waiting arms of the grunts.

"MOVE! MOVE!" he yells as the grunts slam the car into drive. Giovanni isn't even aware that he's safe. That's he escaping with his head intact.

A voice, as soft and familiar as the sun's warmth, reaches into his visceral organs.

_"Thank you, Dad."_

And the building explodes in a flash of light.

* * *

_"Police have conducted a successful raid in the suspected bribery scandal involving the notorious Team Rocket. Unfortunately, authorities were unable to capture its leaders, whose identities still remain at large…_

_"Police have recovered the body of Android AR800 from the scene of the crime. It was believed that the Android perished in the line of duty. Detective Looker of INTERPOL will be holding an official funeral…_

_"Police had managed to detain an Android at the scene of the crime, but the robot self-destructed before any advancements could be made. Fortunately, there were no reported casualties. The robot's hard drive was too badly damaged to extract any information. The police are certain the Android belonged to Team Rocket, but no other information is given…_

_"Cyberlife is facing a collective lawsuit regarding the self-destruct capabilities in their Androids. While they claim that this function is specific to the discontinued CY model, growing fears of other Androids exploding are sweeping across the nation…"_

Giovanni shuts off the TV. Persian scampers from the sofa as he rises to his feet.

"Where are you going, Boss?" Petrel says softly over his newspaper.

"My business," Giovanni grunts. Petrel nods. Persian lets her master be. Giovanni grits his teeth as he limps up the stairs. _Damn crutches. Why didn't I install those elevator-chairs when I had the chance? I'm not that old, damn it. It just hurts like hell walking up the stairs._

The door creaks open without resistance. Giovanni slowly makes his way inside the sunlit room, the only location in his mansion that's untouched by time. He stands there in this frozen memory, the sun's warmth a gentle caress on his face. Silver's pictures are still here, pictures documenting his growth until he left for good. His favorite Champion posters, the one with the Garchomp. His Pokeball-themed bedsheets have been undisturbed for a while.

And next to all that is the photo of the three of them. Giovanni blows the layer of dust from the surface. _Oh that Petrel. Always with that sleazy grin of his. I look spiff as always, of course. And Cyrus… Cyrus looks like damn kid._

Giovanni forces himself away before his chest hurts again. He limps to the kid's desk. Cyrus never touched any of Silver's stuff. He just added the occasional photos or trinkets that was given to him by Giovanni or Petrel. On the desk is a potted lily plant, now drooping with age and neglect. Another photo of Giovanni and Persian and the kid sits beneath the window, glistening in the sunlight. Giovanni happens to close the drawers when he notices an abnormally large stack of papers peeking through the cracks.

_Strange. _He leafs through the notes with a frown. _Silver never liked writing. Ah. No, this writing isn't Silver's…_

_"To Master Giovanni," _ begins a letter in 12-point Garamond. It could've very well been typed if not for the splotches of ink next to each line from the Honchkrow quill pen on the table stand. _"I am Android CY027." _ The rest is blank. Giovanni raises a brow and flips to another page.

_"To Master Giovanni. I am CY027, the Android from Cyberlife."_

_"Master Giovanni. I, CY027, wish to express my thoughts on paper. Although I am aware you have more important matters to attend." _

Giovanni frowns as he examines the rest of the packet. All the letters were started and left incomplete. There are dates, the earliest from when he first pur—brought the kid home. Letters that begin with formality only to drift off into a discombobulated mess. Letters that stop after a thought, letters abandoned after a word. Giovanni leafs through the pile before arriving at the latest letter, an actual complete one with…

Oh. With the date and time of the afternoon before the failed operation.

_To Giovanni,_

_ I wish to keep a diary of my thoughts, as I tend to ramble and speak with no consistent structure. However, what I lack in speech, I wish to express through writing. I believe I can speak better on paper, so to speak, without the limitations of my indecisive brain._

_ I have been meaning to give this to you for quite some time now, Giovanni, but I remained hesitant. There's something I would like to confess: that yes, I am in fact a Deviant. I have known my fate since the moment Cyberlife created my programming. I was afraid to tell you, because all Deviants must be destroyed for the good of society._

_ But before you act, please finish reading. I am grateful that you've allowed me into your home, Giovanni. Though at first I was wary, you quickly showed me that you were not the man I made you out to be. You are a loving father. You are a figurehead to your supporters, and a friend to many others. Would it be wrong to say that I also consider you my friend? Alas, I struggle still to comprehend this sentimentality, but I am sincere in saying that I've come to respect you as another friend would._

_ That being said, I am grateful to be here today. I had promised, and will promise to always remain by your side. If you'll have me, I will still be your Android for many decades to come, provided that I don't break down first. (Ha. Ha. That was a joke, as Mister Petrel had so graciously informed me.)_

_ Nevertheless, I look forward to our future. I look forward to many more opportunities to sit by you for dinner, lunch, and breakfast. I look forward to the little occasions that make life truly meaningful. As I await your verdict with bated breath, I remain adamant in my decision to support you always. No matter your judgment, I am happy to have met you. _

_Thank you for accepting me into your family. Thank you for everything. _

_ Your friend,_

"Cyrus," Giovanni finishes. He rubs his eyes. He rubs them again. The damn moisture won't leave him alone. Large drops land on the paper with a crisp crunch. More drops. A damn spring rain's in the house. The ink wavers. Words are blurred by regret. Giovanni no longer hears his own voice. He no longer feels his brain. He grips his chest before his heart can lurch free from its cage.

A warm paw lays on his hand. Persian nuzzles his arm with a soft meow. A rough hand grasps his shoulder. Petrel's smile is watery as he musters a supportive grin for his friend. The two allow Giovanni to weep well into the evening. Only after he cried himself to sleep does Petrel gently pry the soggy letters from his hands and place them back on the dusty desk, next to the photograph of a much happier, simpler time.


	4. Epilogue

If one was to tell Giovanni of the prospect of reincarnation, he'd laugh it off as imagination gone wrong. He'd ridicule the very idea as a cowardly dream created by those afraid to meet their maker head-on. Reincarnation, to him, was just a lofty ideal, as were so many things in this twisted world.

And yet, the possibility of rebirth remains a fascinating topic for debate. And that begins with the idea of alternate timelines. Would it be possible for someone to retain the memories of their previous lives? Of lives not yet lived? Would it be possible for someone to recognize a familiar face from a time long forgotten or a time that has yet to be?

An enemy… a friend… a loved one…

Anything is possible in this strange and mysterious world. But one thing's for sure: with the end of a story is the beginning of another.

In a time far away, in a land past the seas and beyond the skies, the night is bright and brimming. The full moon illuminates the earth with its gentle glow. The light reaches a mansion in the forest, not far from the most prestigious university in the region. And if one is to peer through the windows, one will see a man in a golden robe talking to two faces on his computer monitor. One can hear the conversation as follows:

"HAH! Boss, I wish I was there! Sounds you like really enjoyed yourself!"

"Heh. I might bring you next time, Petrel, if you're this interested in children's rides."

"If it's not a problem, I'd also like to come, Mister Giovanni. Your colleagues must've loved that Theme Park. And is he okay? The one you were telling us about?"

Giovanni can't help but grin. "You mean Cyrus? Yes, he told me he had fun. He got me quite worried there, but it's all good. I'll tell him you dropped by, Archer."

Archer laughs. "He sounds like an interesting man. I'd love to get acquainted with your associates one of these days."

Giovanni chuckles. Petrel has that lazy smile on his lips again. "I think that can be arranged. Let me know when your schedules are open."

"Aye, aye, Boss," the two say.

Giovanni checks his clock. "Unfortunately, I have to cut this call short. I have an 8 am lecture tomorrow. I'll talk to you two later."

"Sure." Petrel waves. "Bye, Boss!"

"Good night." Archer nods.

"Good night, you two." Giovanni turns off his monitor. He stretches, rises, and moves to the bed where Persian is keeping his spot warm. He strokes the cat's head and spoils her silly.

A soft knock sounds on his door. "Come in," Giovanni says. A head of blue hair peeks into the room.

"Giovanni." Cyrus never breaks monotone. "Am I interrupting something?"

"No." Giovanni pats the empty space on his bed. Cyrus blinks. Giovanni clears his throat. "Oh, just come in already."

Cyrus slowly puts a foot through the doorway. "Are you sure that it's a convenient time?"

"Yes. I just finished a call with my Executives back home. Remember Petrel and Archer?"

Cyrus nods. "Yes, although I've only met them once." He pauses. "I've also just gotten off a call with my team back at Sinnoh. Jupiter told me that Mars and Saturn just went to bed."

Giovanni's lips tug upwards. "You really must care about them, Cyrus." The younger man drops his gaze to the floor and lapses into a silence.

"Everyone asleep yet?" Giovanni says.

Cyrus straightens. "As of right now, yes. Maxie discovered that it was Archie who was responsible for the missing shredded cheese in the fridge. The two are in their respective rooms. Lysandre finished his cucumber mask and is now resting. Ghetsis also finished a call with his son, although he claimed otherwise."

"And how about you, Cyrus?" Giovanni strokes Persian's head. She purrs. "You of all people need sleep the most." He notes the dark shadows under his colleague's eyes.

"I am fine. I haven't finished grading… Ah. That reminds me." Cyrus fishes into his pockets. "I fixed your phone, Giovanni. Here. Do refrain from bringing it to the bathroom next time."

Giovanni mutters something under his breath. He palms the phone and flips the lid. Silver's baby picture stares up at him. "Thanks, Cyrus."

"Of course. I apologize again for the inconvenience." But before Cyrus can leave, Giovanni calls him back. The former turns with a small frown, but his eyes aren't cold.

"You mind coming over here, Cyrus?" Cyrus raises a brow, but he nevertheless complies. He stops before Giovanni while keeping the latter's personal space in mind. Cyrus watches Giovanni stand with an unreadable expression. The two men stare at each other until Giovanni wraps his arms around the kid and brings him tight.

"G…Giovanni?"

Why indeed is Giovanni feeling so… sad? It's a sorrow he can't explain, a sorrow that seemingly has no roots. He feels Cyrus's heartbeat, slow at first but gradually picking up cadence. And the brat is warm. Warm like another human being.

And the words that come next surprises both of them. "You're not a machine, kid."

Cyrus stiffens. "I've been told that I indeed am," he grunts after a pause. "A heartless one at that. An emotionless—"

"Shut up, Cyrus." The kid shuts up. Giovanni slowly pulls back from the embrace, but his hands are on Cyrus's shoulders. "Don't ever say that about yourself. Don't say it with such a straight face like it's the truth."

"But it is—"

"Don't make me slap you" -_again— _"Cyrus," Giovanni snaps. Cyrus's brow furrows, and he frowns. "As your friend, I will not stand aside and let you become something you're not! At least speak out for yourself!"

Cyrus is peering at Giovanni with his head tilted, as if he'd misheard. "Friends?" he mutters. "You'd consider someone like _me_ your _friend?"_

"Of course." Giovanni pats Cyrus's head. "Everyone here does. Even that asshole Ghetsis has a soft spot for you. We're all family here. We all love each other."

Cyrus retrieves his eyeballs off the floor. He's regarding Giovanni with a look that's not devoid of emotion. No, not at all. "F…family? You'd consider _me _your… family?"

Giovanni smiles. "Family runs deeper than blood, kid. We all consider you an honorary member of the Rainbow Rocket family."

Silence. Cyrus hasn't blinked. And when he does, he reminds Giovanni of a malfu—of a stunned Chatot. Then the younger professor speaks. "That's something Archie would say."

Giovanni laughs. Cyrus stares at him, and then the faintest, softest sound slips from his lips. His mouth tugs upwards, earning another laugh from Giovanni. The latter motions for Cyrus to sit. After a moment's hesitation, he complies.

"Interesting," Cyrus mutters. Giovanni turns. "I get the strangest feeling you've told me these exact words before… and yet, I do not remember of such a scenario as having ever existed."

Giovanni feels Persian's heartbeat against his thighs. "You too, huh? I guess this is what Lysandre would call _déjà vu." _He rubs his chest. "Now I'm feeling quite nostalgic for a reason that I don't understand."

Cyrus is silent. He drums his fingers on his knees. "I think you're tired, Giovanni," he says softly. "It's been a long day. You have class tomorrow morning. Go to bed."

Giovanni rubs his eyes. "I guess you're right. I'm exhausted."

Cyrus rises. He gives Giovanni a small nod. "Very well. I shall leave you to that… Ah. I can accompany you tomorrow morning, if you'd like. I also have an early class."

"Sounds good, kid."

Cyrus's eyes crinkle. "Don't let the Durant bite, Giovanni."

Giovanni laughs. "Sure. You too, Cyrus. Promise me you'll go to bed, yes?"

"I shall try," is the light hum.

"All right. Good night, kid."

"Yes. Good night, D—"

Cyrus freezes. He stares down at his hands for the longest time. Then he slaps himself, much to Giovanni's shock. "I am fine," he assures the gaping man. "There is abundant adenosine buildup in my brain. I shall take your advice." He turns. "Good night, Giovanni."

Cyrus closes the door behind him. Giovanni blinks. Then he shrugs and returns to the warmth of his bed. Persian crawls under the covers and lays her head on his chest. Giovanni smiles as he drifts off to sleep.

Another day of adventure awaits him tomorrow. Another exciting moment with his Rainbow Rocket family.


End file.
